Cayman - the crossroads to the Americas-
examining maritime, shipping, environment, ship finance and business
opportunities in the Americas

Monday 4 February 2013Marriott Hotel
Cayman Islands

Looking at the headlines it seems like scary things await
us going into 2013. World GDP is set to fall due to European economic
problems, the lingering oversupply of newbuildings and not enough demand to
absorb them, and greater regulatory demands. While last year the belief was
that China would bring the world out of the crisis, now it seems that China
is having problems of its own, with the inflation risk, tightening credit
and weakening demand. All of the above directly affect the shipping industry
with the result that the finance that used to be available to shipping
companies has dried up. Only the top 15% of the largest shipping companies
are said to be able to get financing from the traditional sources, granted
at a higher rate. But it seems that for everyone else that shop has closed.

It is in these times
that the savviest entrepreneurs look elsewhere and find new opportunities.
Enter the Cayman Islands offshore financial industry, with its shipping
history, direct ties to United Kingdom and developed stable economic and
political climate. This combination makes the Cayman Islands the fifth
largest banking center in the world and number one in hedge funds. As a
result Cayman Islands have over 800 marine companies registered there. And
it seems to be very reasonable that the shipping industry step in and take
advantage of these financial opportunities.

This summit aims to
analyze the pros and cons of shipping industry doing business offshore, and
in particular the Cayman Islands, as it is in the crossroads between North
and South America. Looking ahead, we will try to predict the trends, market
outlooks, available financing, best new technologies for environmental
sustainability and ways of generating new businesses while still making
profits.

- as of 1 February -

[The list of session moderators, speakers and discussion panelists will be
updated daily]

Could the Cayman Islands be
a new source of ship finance due to its position as the fifth
largest banking center in the world?

What are the realities and
consequences facing the ship owners in today’s uncertain
financial times, and what incentives do shipping companies have
in leaving their home base and relocating offshore?

What are the challenges
facing the shipping industry in finding new sources of finance?

How much capital is
available in today’s shipping market?

Since the Cayman Islands
have grown to be the world’s leading offshore hedge fund
jurisdiction, could this be a potential new lucrative source for
shipping finance?

In today’s economic climate,
it looks like only the reputable ship owners with good track
records can continue to tap the capital markets, what are the
options for the other smaller companies?

What are the advantages of registering mega-yachts and ships
under the cayman islands flag? Some benefits include easier
access to marine mortgages and financing because in order to
register any marine asset one has to go through rigorous
background and security checks. What are the tax benefits
associated with the registration in the Cayman Islands?

What are cruise ship
environmental policies, ship safety and innovations?

How can we best address the
environmental challenges in salvage removal?

How can we harmonize the
international shipping community for more sustainable shipping
and operations?

What is the best technology
available due to the North American ECA (environmental
controlled area). Will shipowners prefer to install a scrubber
or change current engines to LNG fueled? Or to continue burning
low sulfur fuel?